1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Trifles. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?” The play begins in a rural town in the early 1900s. We are in John Wright's farmhouse on a cold winter morning. Inside of the farmhouse we have Mr. and Mrs. Hale, the Sheriff and his wife Mrs. Peters, and county attorney Mr. Henderson. All characters are gathered here to solve the murder of John Wright and find out if it was his wife, Mrs. Wright, who killed him.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play? The intrusion in this play is when Mrs Peters and Mrs Hale find Mrs's Wright's dead bird. They have been talking about how depressed Mrs Wright had been and how she was happy before her marriage to Mr Wright. Mr Wright might have kept his wife isolated without the company of friends or children, and that may have made Mrs Wright despise her husband. The bird may have been the only source of happiness for Mrs Wright, and Mrs Peters and Mrs Hale believe that Mr Wright may have killed it, angering Mrs Wright even more. Maybe enough to the point of murder.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place? Today is the day that the attorney and sheriff are going over evidence that may implicate Mrs Wright or another of murder. Mrs Peters and Mrs Hale come along to gather some of Mrs Wright's belongings, coming across some vital evidence.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrustion.) Will Mrs Peters and Mrs Hale reveal the dead bird to the men, which might convict Mrs Wright of murder?
5. Use Ms. Hale to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, ie. The dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Trifles the wants of Ms. Hale change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a charcter. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles. a. Mrs Hale is not sure if she should reveal the evidence or not. She feels guilty herself as she did not visit Mrs Wright often and also feels bad for her. She is also going against her own morals if she believes murder is bad and unlawful. b. Mrs Hale is going against Mr Hale by keeping a secret from her husband which can help him and the others solve the case. c. Mrs Hale is going against the law by withholding evidence from the court. d. Even though she is choosing to withhold evidence, the men might find something else to convict Mrs Wright, or they might end up finding the bird. Mrs Wright may confess, or she could be hung with the current evidence, which would mean that it did not matter that Mrs Hale kept the bird a secret.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Trifles. The theatrical moment in this play may have been when Mrs Peters and Mrs Hale choose to keep the bird a secret from the men. This shows that they support Mrs Wright and do not want her punished for the murder she may have committed. They sympathized with her because they were females living in a male dominated era where a woman's happiness and needs were not taken seriously.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Trifles. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”) Three images that were of importance was the bird, the concept of strangling, and the weather. The bird represented how Mrs Wright was before she was married, when she was known as Minnie Foster. They were both full of life and merriness. A bird may have been seen by John Wright as a trifle, and he may have also seen Mrs Wright as one as well. Mrs Wright was always kept confined with no visitors or children. This could have made her feel as if Mr Wright was "strangling" the life and happiness out of her. The bird was also strangled, having its happiness and liveliness squeezed out of it. Mrs Wright felt so confined that she did the same to John Wright by strangling him with a rope. The whole setting of the play is taken place in a cold farmhouse. This coldness may be a symbol for the bitterness Mrs Wright felt in her daily life.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Trifles. The role of women in the early 1900's, the justice system, and loyalty.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with Trifles? Mrs Wright never had children, just a distant husband, so she may have felt like she had no family. She also did not have many visitors or friends with whom she could have confided with or talked to. The absence of family may of led Mrs Wright to commit murder.
The play begins in a rural town in the early 1900s. We are in John Wright's farmhouse on a cold winter morning. Inside of the farmhouse we have Mr. and Mrs. Hale, the Sheriff and his wife Mrs. Peters, and county attorney Mr. Henderson. All characters are gathered here to solve the murder of John Wright and find out if it was his wife, Mrs. Wright, who killed him.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
The intrusion in this play is when Mrs Peters and Mrs Hale find Mrs's Wright's dead bird. They have been talking about how depressed Mrs Wright had been and how she was happy before her marriage to Mr Wright. Mr Wright might have kept his wife isolated without the company of friends or children, and that may have made Mrs Wright despise her husband. The bird may have been the only source of happiness for Mrs Wright, and Mrs Peters and Mrs Hale believe that Mr Wright may have killed it, angering Mrs Wright even more. Maybe enough to the point of murder.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
Today is the day that the attorney and sheriff are going over evidence that may implicate Mrs Wright or another of murder. Mrs Peters and Mrs Hale come along to gather some of Mrs Wright's belongings, coming across some vital evidence.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrustion.)
Will Mrs Peters and Mrs Hale reveal the dead bird to the men, which might convict Mrs Wright of murder?
5. Use Ms. Hale to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, ie. The dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Trifles the wants of Ms. Hale change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a charcter. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles.
a. Mrs Hale is not sure if she should reveal the evidence or not. She feels guilty herself as she did not visit Mrs Wright often and also feels bad for her. She is also going against her own morals if she believes murder is bad and unlawful.
b. Mrs Hale is going against Mr Hale by keeping a secret from her husband which can help him and the others solve the case.
c. Mrs Hale is going against the law by withholding evidence from the court.
d. Even though she is choosing to withhold evidence, the men might find something else to convict Mrs Wright, or they might end up finding the bird. Mrs Wright may confess, or she could be hung with the current evidence, which would mean that it did not matter that Mrs Hale kept the bird a secret.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Trifles.
The theatrical moment in this play may have been when Mrs Peters and Mrs Hale choose to keep the bird a secret from the men. This shows that they support Mrs Wright and do not want her punished for the murder she may have committed. They sympathized with her because they were females living in a male dominated era where a woman's happiness and needs were not taken seriously.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Trifles. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
Three images that were of importance was the bird, the concept of strangling, and the weather. The bird represented how Mrs Wright was before she was married, when she was known as Minnie Foster. They were both full of life and merriness. A bird may have been seen by John Wright as a trifle, and he may have also seen Mrs Wright as one as well. Mrs Wright was always kept confined with no visitors or children. This could have made her feel as if Mr Wright was "strangling" the life and happiness out of her. The bird was also strangled, having its happiness and liveliness squeezed out of it. Mrs Wright felt so confined that she did the same to John Wright by strangling him with a rope. The whole setting of the play is taken place in a cold farmhouse. This coldness may be a symbol for the bitterness Mrs Wright felt in her daily life.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Trifles.
The role of women in the early 1900's, the justice system, and loyalty.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with Trifles?
Mrs Wright never had children, just a distant husband, so she may have felt like she had no family. She also did not have many visitors or friends with whom she could have confided with or talked to. The absence of family may of led Mrs Wright to commit murder.